March 24, 2010 Letter

Hey Parents,
I just wanted to take the time and fill you in on how things are going and how my days go.
It is different everyday, but up @ 6:30 usually, personal study or gym @ 6:35 twice a week then breakfast is at 8:15. Then Comp/personal/class then lunch, then class or gym or whatever then dinner, yeah It's really exciting. (Then planning/or class or ?)
I've got a new comp, Christensen Elder, (not sure if I told you that yet)I sent you a letter Monday and I sent Amber a letter, last P-day? Let me know when and if things get to you and the family.
Our estimated departure date is May 24th. It actually is a 12 week program but they count the half weeks as one week each, so about 10 1/2 weeks in reality.
So Mom, find me dates for when I get back.
Have Amber look too...Ha Ha
We just got new English Elders today in our Zone (Hall). And in 2 1/2 - 3 weeks Our Ancients (Hungarian Missionaries who have been there and fly out sooner than Trev's group), The Albanians and the English Elders will be gone and it will be our district and we'll be the oldest and kinda alone until we get more Albanians. Hungs don't come for a couple of weeks after and English Elders are in & out constantly. I talked with Gamblin, he was recruited by BYU and W.M. and some other colleges and he went to Riverton...he's a way cool kid and we can relate a lot of our experiences.
The Fins are just down the hall in our building in class. But I have tore up basketball. I shoot the lights out. I played against Gamblin and I stepped back and shot over him and sunk it.
Love Ya! Gotta go! Write & have the rest of the family write! And I want a pic of the fam when Amber was down.
Loves,
Hansen Elder
P.S. I get to call and talk as long as I want at every stop at the airports.=)

March 24, 2010 Email

We had a rough couple of weeks learning how to refresh so that we could talk a bit through email. This week Mom was in St. George with the GYC kids. She got on at noon but Trevor had not refreshed so he could not see that she was there.

He wrote:
Just got back from the temple, we did inititories and we were talking to a worker that went to Hungary on a mision and some kid walked up to me and said, hey man. and i looked at him and it was Seth Owens!!!!! So we talked for a few minutes, its was crazy awesome. Everything is going great, i had a rough evening yesterday, i was overwhelmed with the language but i'm over it. i wish you were on.... sorry, i thought it would be at 1 but we got out early, i will check again later and maybe converse a bit, thanks! LOVE YOU!!!

Then a little later:
Well, i probably won't get another chance today to get on so i figured i would write a decent e mail, most of everything i wanted to write about was in that letter i sent you.... But mom; i was studying outside at about 8ish pm Monday and i was by the street on the sidewalk that you drive into the MTC on and i just felt amazingly close to you and so secure. I could feel your love so strong for some reason, it was awesome.
I keep relating every problem or hiccup in here the football. I have talked about Football so much here i think my district is sick of it. But there are sooooo many things that are directly applicable to missionary work. This tues' devo, Lynn G Robbins and his wife Jan talked. Mary said something about conquering fear and overcoming that through faith and love. And after we had a post devo district meeting and our 1st/2nd? counselor and his wife was with us and we all shared what we liked. I talked about that, and about my senior year i taped my laces and wrote "FEAR IS - FAILURE" so that i could read it, i love how all of the things that i devoted my life to continue to help me . And fear is failure, you can;t be scared to talk to someone on the street, because if you are you will lose that battle for an opportunity for a soul to come unto Christ. If we are scared, it means our faith is weak.
The days are passing fast. Breakfast lunch and dinner are pretty much one meal now. we eat, sit, eat. sit, eat. sit sleep. with gym in there which is the best thing ever. that tall kid (6'8") is going to Finland and w're pretty tight. his name is Gamblin,
Well, times up. Love Ya

Unexpected Letter

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Hey Mom & Dad,
Things are going ok right now.
Last Tuesday at the fireside Quentin L. Cook & his wife spoke. Saxton Elder got reassigned sadly. He is leaving for West Virginia Tuesday. So Christensen Elder is my Comp now. The days are going by faster. It feels like we're eating constantly. The language is coming pretty good....We taught our first lesson in Hungarian. It was extremely broken but I got what I could with the few things we've learned. I can bear my testimony well, pray ok, and have an okay conversation. I'm remembering words like crazy. I hear a word and it stays, we just haven't learned all the conjunction charts. The language is SO backwards compared to English. The word order doesn't matter, only rarely does it, you just put endings on words to make it make sense.
I've seen Jamison a few times, we talk quite a bit. I saw Colton Baird... Don't know where he is going though. Griff just came in Wednesday Jameson said. Haven't seen him though. Jameson has gym w/him, I guess.
I love gym time, I play with a few kids that are 6'6"+... One kid is way cool, I think he played at a JC. He's going to Finland which is a harder language than ours! He's right down the hall in our classroom building, he talks to me a lot. The others are ok.
Sunday's are nice. We got 2 hours for a temple walk or an unofficial nap...BTW THANKS! That package was amazing! The pad has helped sooo much, by back is still stiff but it doesn't actually hurt. The pillow is a little flat but I still use it between my legs.
I'm not really supposed to write on Sundays, but oh well, I miss you guys a tonz. I keep thinking subconsciously that I will see you really soon, but I won't. :(
I can't wait to give you a hug.
But hey, I'm feeling awesome! So don't worry.
Everything is great! :)
En szerettektudom!
(I love you!)
Elder Hansen

Waiting & Wondering...How is he?

March 17th; Trevor's first letter home came
in the mail on Friday March 19th.
Mom & Dad,
Thanks for the cream puffs, they made a mess on the floor...HA! Everything is going good. The first night or 2 were tough and weird mostly. I was overwhelmed with what I've had to be doing. But it's better now...I shared my cream puffs with the whole hallway, the ancients, Albanians, so on...(zone basically). I offered him one. He (I think he is talking about Smith Elder)ate it, got out his fudge his grandma made and was walking around to every room sharing it. Ball is ok, it depends on the group you get with. There's a few kids who played college ball in our hour. (football BYU/a JC)
Saxton Elder is having a tough time, but he's a good kid, and wants to stay out. His Grandpa is Bob Saxton. I found my watch. Can't find stamps. I don't know what you want me to do with this tupperware?
(with arrows extending to the ends of the paper)
Love You! This MUCH!
Hansen Elder
P.S. Send pillow, pad, an 2 more of those pictures I can send to Trev and Landon if you haven't sent them one yet... & maybe a blanket. :) (double accented u/smiley face)

Catching Up with Landon & LeBaron

It has been difficult for Trevor knowing that Landon & LeBaron were already serving on their missions. He always realized he would be about six months behind but he never thought he would be TEN months catching up to where they were. When it comes to friends, Trev always put LeBaron and Landon right up there at the top. Mom would say they were in reality the closest thing to brothers Trev experienced in growing up.

Many TENDER MERCIES from HEAVEN

Just before Trev entered the MTC Jocelyn got up from her nap and Amber asked her, "Did you have a good nap?" Jocelyn said, "Yes." Amber asked, "What did you dream about?" Jocelyn said, "Jesus." So Amber asked, "Did you have fun with Jesus?" Jocelyn then answered with, "Jesus is watching over Trev."
Monday night, March 22, I (Mom) was really missing Trevor; you know, the whole "won't see him for 2 years thing & you can't even call them". I knew how hard it had been for Saxton Elder and what a good kid he was. I prayed and shed tears that Trevor would know how much I loved him and that he would be strong and be able to feel capable to meet the challenges of his mission. I wrote him a DearElder email it said, "Just wanted you to know that I'm thinking of you, praying for you, and that I feel very blessed to be your mom. ...Plan to catch the kiss (had kisses but then changed it because I thought he might feel too freaky about his mom being so mushy) I've blown to you whenever you are outside and feel the breeze. They are floating around waiting for you. Be happy, serve those around you. You're involved in a great work!..." I had to pick up brownies from BYU for the GYC Spring Retreat in St. George early the morning of the 23rd. Buzzed the MTC.
When we received his letter on Friday I was reminded of our Father's tender mercies he gives as Trev wrote: "But mom; i was studying outside at about 8ish pm Monday and i was by the street on the sidewalk that you drive into the MTC on and i just felt amazingly close to you and so secure. I could feel your love so strong for some reason, it was awesome."
Thursday, March 25, 2010, Amber called Mom and told of Jocelyn's concern for Treb at around 3 pm that day.
Jocelyn said,“Uncle Treber is sad right now…”
“He is?”, Amber said.
“Ya he’s got owies… he needs a band-aid”, she said.
“He does?” Amber asked.
“Ya, he will feel all better now”, she said.
Amber sent Mom an email with some thoughts and began plans to prepare a bandaid box to be sent to Treb. The following poem was created.

Trevor, when you are down and out and feel you can’t go on.
When you are far from those who understand and make you feel strong,
Get on your knees and ask Our Father who understands your needs.
Then through the Holy Ghost we will know of your pleas.

We will be there through each prayer to help you regain your strength.
As a reminder of our love this band-aid will work its magic at length.
Instant pain relief, as Jocelyn would say, “All better now!”
*ZAP!*. @*BANG!*.. ^..>*POW!

When you need extra support wrap this band-aid round your finger tight,
Feel all our hugs and kisses from home…things will be alright.
When you look at your finger throughout the day
The tiny little breather holes R a reminder of countless prayers for U we say,
And you will be able to feel of our love and support all along your way.

We love you T H I S M U C H !!!!!!!!!
Keep up the hard work!

Friday Jaci, Aspen, Chase, Canyon and Kayli Jo created sticker pictures for Trev. Each one sported a band-aid. They were sent to Treb with instructions to wait to open until a package came from Amber.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

One of the comforts for Trev was that Jamison Izatt would be at the MTC also. From Stacee we knew Jamer knew he would be able to find Trev the night he entered the MTC for sure at dinner. Jamer did find him and wrote home to say, " I have seen Trevor (Hansen) twice now, he needed a hug at dinner." " I tracked him down at dinner when he was coming through the doors and he came up to me with a big smile and said I am so glad to see you. I gave him a hug and told him I was proud of him. He's doing good and I saw him yesterday at the temple." It was Sunday the 14th, Trevor and Jamer ran into each other on the Provo Temple grounds. Trevor's association with Jamer before Jamison left for the Philippines proved to be of great joy for Trev, he wrote on March 31st, "...yeah i hang with jamer every sunday at the movie... we talk and talk and i loved it, i saw him yesterday just before lunch and took a picture." Picture will be posted when we (Trev & his parents) figure out how to do this fluently!